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Snailbeach Lead Mine Surface
Virtual Tour |
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[click thumbnails
to see larger version of picture] PARK IN THE VILLAGE HALL CAR PARK
(SJ373022) This is on the right as you climb the hill from
the Shrewsbury-Bishops Castle road.
If it is full then you can park on the grass area to the side and
below. Parking is free and there are
toilets here, as well as a children’s play area on the grass below. There is a display board on the outside wall of the
toilet block that will give you some basic information on the mine and there
are more as you go around.
Some distance away
from the mine itself, in Hope Valley, is the portal of Wagbeach Level
(SJ364025) This is the drainage level
of the mine and here are the remains of a 36ft waterwheel that, at an early
stage of the working of Snailbeach, drove the pumps to drain the mine. These are on private land but a footpath
goes close to it. Wagbeach Level is
1,200 yards long, reaching the mine at George's Shaft at a depth of 112
yards. With your back to
the car park, turn right along the road for about 100 yards, passing the
Village Hall. On the right is a
bridleway going down to the left of a white house. Follow this down and round the corner on
the right you will find the grilled entrance to Scott Level. This is a mystery as it leads to extensive
passages that are not connected to Snailbeach Mine.
CROSS THE ROAD TO THE SIGN UP TO
LORDSHILL. GO THROUGH THE SMALL WOODEN GATE AND WALK UP THE HILL
ALONG THE PATH
If
you look back, there are fantastic views across the valley.
On the left are the
remains of an Engine House. The
Halvans Company were processing the tips here between 1911-1930s and the
engine house was used to operate the machinery. There was a small rectangular chimney,
which was actually false, being used for a fireplace on the first floor. In the east wall was an A-frame as part of
the brickwork and this was where the drive for the conveyor ran out of the
building. The cylinder foundations and
a flywheel pit are inside the engine house, these operated a crusher and
screens which lay on the west side of the building. The old white tips have now been grassed
over. An estimated 8,000 cubic metres
of mine spoil were removed from the tips for backfilling unsafe underground
workings and this was added to over 2,000 tonnes of grout.
CARRY ON UP THE TRACK. WHERE IT FLATTENS OUT, GO THROUGH ANOTHER GATE AND CROSS THE ROAD TO
A SIGN
TURN RIGHT ALONG A TRACK NEXT TO THE FENCE
TURN LEFT IN FRONT OF A BUILDING WITH BIG
DOORS
The following old pictures are of the
locomotives working
THEN & NOW
Towards the end of the
railway's life, the trucks were hauled by a tractor instead of a steam
locomotive. In the loco shed is an old Fordson tractor
that was found abandoned on site. It
is believed to have been used at one stage for operating machinery at the
Upper Works but it is not known if this was the tractor used to haul trucks.
GO OUT OF THE LOCO SHED AND FOLLOW THE
RAILS The rails soon disappear under the surface
of the modern track but you will come to two stone abutments. This was a bridge where waste rock from the
mine was pushed in wagons over the railway and dumped on the tips. At ground level, you can see the lever that
moved some points.
GO BACK TO THE LOCO SHED AND UP THE STEPS
On the left is the Mine Office that was used
in the 1950s. The fireplace on the
facing outside wall was a small room where the lead was assayed.
On the right is the
Blacksmith's Shop where machinery and tools were made for the mine. This building
is normally kept locked but if you can make arrangements to gain access via the
Visits Co-ordinator if there are no Trust members on site.
Inside are a forge
and bellows which have been restored and are operated on Open Days.
THEN & NOW This was a separate
blacksmith’s shop for sharpening men’s tools which has now been demolished.
Next to it is a small stone
building, which is believed to be a very old Pumping Engine House that
operated in George’s Shaft.
In front of the Blacksmith’s
Shop is the filled George's Shaft (750ft), with a wooden headgear that was
rebuilt in July 1999. It is here that the fatalities occurred in 1895 (note
that this originally had two winding wheels but one was removed towards the
end of the 19th Century).
THEN & NOW
Across from the shaft
is the Winding Engine House which held a horizontal steam winder that was
installed in 1872. Behind the engine house was a small Reservoir that fed the
boilers.
Here you can see visitors
following the mine trail leaflet and a separate one for children.
To the left of the
engine house was the Miner’s Dry (now converted into an unmanned
interpretation centre), where some miners stayed during the week. This building is
normally kept locked but if you can make arrangements to gain access via the
Visits Co-ordinator if there are no Trust members on site. Next to this is a storage building
with a coil of discarded winding cable.
From April – October there will be Trust members manning the
Interpretation Centre on most Sundays.
They will be pleased to show you into the buildings or take you into
Day Level (see below).
To the left of this is the
grilled entrance of Day Level, which was driven in 1848 to intersect the Lordshill
Engine Shaft. Ore could be unloaded here from kibbles and pushed in wagons
straight out to the Crusher House, on the other side of the track.
Arrangements can be made for underground trips via the Visits Co-ordinator.
On the other side of the track
are the remains of the Crusher House, Carpenters Shop and Saw Pit, now
grilled over.
Next to Day Level is the
Compressor House and its chimney, which contained two Siemens & Edwards
compressors installed in 1881.
The Boiler House
has disappeared but the flues can still be seen.
GO BACK TO DAY LEVEL AND CLIMB THE PATH
JUST TO THE LEFT OF IT
The white building on the left is the Count
House, where the Mine Manager lived and where the miners were paid.
CARRY ON UP THE PATH AND FOLLOW GREEN
ARROWS RIGHT AT T-JUNCTION, LEFTAT A Y-JUNCTION AND LEFT AT ANOTHER T-JUNCTION TO A TRACK On the right just before the top is what appears to
be a grilled mine entrance. This is in
fact merely a short access tunnel under the track.
AT THE TOP, CROSS THE TRACK AND WALK TO THE
GRILLED SHAFT
This is Lordshill
Engine Shaft (1,300ft) and, although it is still open, it has been grilled at
surface for safety. On the left is a
Winding Engine House, containing a horizontal steam winder, was sited on the
left and this wound ore in the shaft up to Day Level, using flat ropes. Next
to this are the remains of the Boiler House. On the right is a
Pumping Engine House that used the same boilers as the winder. It was
installed in 1858 and housed a 60" engine. Provision for the balance bob
at surface is plainly visible and the ground depression between the engine
house and shaft marks the site of the condenser cistern. The engine house
itself is of massive construction and the lever wall is 6ft thick. Four large
gritstone blocks on the floor mark the site of the cylinder, with holes for
the holding down bolts going down more than 10ft through the foundations. The
pit between the cylinder and lever wall was for the valve gear, worked by
plunger rods hung from the beam. The engine had an unequal beam with a stroke
of 6ft at the cylinder and 9ft at the pump rods. The diameter of the pumps
was recorded as 6 inches. The Lordshill engine stopped pumping in January 1919
and, after this, the mine flooded to adit level.
Straight ahead is a
recess that held the Balance Bob. This
acted as a counterweight for the pump rods in the shaft.
The boiler flues
led into the Main Flue, which ran from the smelter up the hill to the
Octagonal Chimney above. This is the largest chimney in the district and is
constructed of red brick resting on a square greystone base.
Between the Pumping
Engine House and the track is a small building which housed a steam winch
that hauled up trucks of coal for the boilers along an incline. The line of the incline can still be seen
heading off from the track on the left hand side.
A bit further down
the track, follow some steps up to the right.
This will lead you to a grilled over section of the collapsed Main
Flue.
GO BACK TO THE TRACK AND FOLLOW IT
DOWN. STOP AT THE ROAD JUNCTION
Straight across is
the Candle House. This is where the tallow candles were produced and stored,
which the miners had to buy themselves.
WALK ALONG THE TRACK OPPOSITE On the left you will pass the
Magazine, built in 1863 and
consisting of two concentric square walls, allowing one-way traffic of men
going to collect explosives
CARRY ON ALONG THE TRACK, PAST TWO
COLLAPSED LEVELS ON THE RIGHT
TAKE A RIGHT FORK NEXT TO A HOUSE On the right is the
grilled entrance to Perkins Level, driven earlier this century to mine barite
when the price of lead dropped. Trucks
were pushed from the entrance across the track (the rails are still in situ)
to a loading bay. Here it was dropped
into trucks at a lower level and taken to the Upper Works.
WALK UP THE FOOTPATH TO THE LEFT OF THE LEVEL
AND THROUGH A STILE ON THE RIGHT. CARRY ON UP TO THE ROAD, PASSING A CAPPED VENTILATION
SHAFT ON PERKINS LEVEL
AT THE ROAD, TURN LEFT AND FOLLOW THE ROAD
UP THE HILL. FOLLOW IT ROUND TO THE
RIGHT On the left you can
see two low circular features that are the caps of shafts. They have been built in this way to allow
bats to enter.
Straight ahead you can see the
Lordshill Chapel where some of the miners are buried.
FOLLOW THE ROAD ROUND TO THE LEFT AND
THROUGH A GATE On the left is the
capped Chapel Shaft, sunk by the adjacent landowner in the 1860s to exploit
the expected continuation of the lead veins which were not there! After the venture failed, Snailbeach Mine
acquired the shaft for ventilation and access.
Next to it are the remains
of the Winding Engine House which had a converted ship's capstan installed in
1862. The engine house has almost completely collapsed but the underground
flue and a small square chimney can still be seen, the latter on the hillside
on the other side of the road. The
long flue helped to increase the draught to the fire under the boilers. FOLLOW THE ROAD BACK DOWN TO THE CANDLE
HOUSE. TURN RIGHT ALONG THE TRACK AS BEFORE BUT THIS TIME TAKE THE
FIRST LEFT FORK PASSING TO THE LEFT OF THE POWDER HOUSE. WALK STRAIGHT
ACROSS A TRACK JUNCTION The small building
on the left was the Valve House that controlled the flow of water from the
main reservoir to sub-reservoirs lower down.
GO BACK TO THE TRACK AND TURN LEFT UPHILL
FOR A SHORT DISTANCE. WHERE THE TRACK FORKS, TAKE THE LEFT HAND
ONE AND PASS THROUGH A GATE.
FOLLOW THE FOOTPATH ALONG THE
SIDE OF THE RESERVOIR The large Reservoir on the left
provided water for the boilers and dressing floors.
The footpath ends at a large
green shed which is the Upper Works.
Go up the steps.
This area dates
from the 1930s and was used to crush and process the barite mined from
Perkins Level. Barite from here was
sent to the Windscale (now called Sellafield) nuclear reactor accident to
smother fuel cells. Underground mining ceased in 1955 but the tips were
re-worked until the 1970s. The
machinery was worked by flatbelt from a tractor, which may be the one
currently being refurbished in the Loco Shed.
GO BACK TO THE VALVE HOUSE TRACK JUNCTION
AND THIS TIME GO STRAIGHT ON On the left, in the trees, is a
shallow cutting with the railway loop for taking coal up to the Lordshill
boilers.
Further down, on
the right, is the grilled Paraffin Level. In the 1940s, on a fine day, the
men came out for their lunch and when they returned they found that where
they had been working had collapsed.
CARRY ON ALONG THE TRACK PAST A HOUSE ON
THE RIGHT TO A ROAD. TURN RIGHT ALONG ROAD AND, WHERE THE ROAD BENDS
LEFT, GO STRAIGHT ON ALONG A TRACK. LOOK FOR RAILWAY LINES ON
THE LEFT AND TAKE A PATH ON THE RIGHT OPPOSITE THESE. FOLLOW THIS
ROUND TO THE LEFT INTO THE TREES
This is the area of
Black Tom Shaft (120ft), which was sunk in the 1820s and carried on working
barite into this century. You will
first come across a metal saw bench, hand windlass and some concrete bases
from a steam engine, classifier and jiggers.
The wooden classifier has being rebuilt and is in the Loco Shed,
whilst the jiggers are being rebuilt.
THEN & NOW
The shaft has now
been filled and fitted with a mock shaft top. It originally had a horse gin
but this was replaced in the 1880s by a small steam engine, seated on top of
its boiler, which was housed in the small wooden Winding Engine House. There
was a double pulley on the headgear, which has collapsed but been placed into
store. Half buried in the undergrowth
is the remains of a truck.
THEN & NOW
GO BACK TO THE TRACK AND FOLLOW THE RAILS
THROUGH THE TREES TO THE ROAD
THEN & NOW
On the opposite side
of the road, the wide flat area was the washing floor where ore was separated
by gravity processes.
At the far side, you can see
Jiggers and a Grizzly, devices that were used to sieve out ore.
There was a railway loop here
to a loading bay and you can see a modern day mining truck.
Part of the washing
floor had a long building on it and, from here, dressed ore was dropped down
into trucks in a Tunnel. This went under
the road to take ore to where it was stored in the Ore House. The grilled
entrance to the Tunnel is in the courtyard of the Ore House. To the left of
the Ore House is a rocky area where geologists are allowed to collect
samples.
The Smelt House is
situated about 1 mile north-west of the main area and was supplied with ore by
a tramway. The remains are on private land and anyone wishing to see them
should contact the Visits Co-ordinator.
Flues from the hearths run under the fields to a nearby red brick
beehive condenser. This was supported in the past by lashings of flat steel
winding rope but part of the wall has collapsed. The six furnace flues and
the main chimney flue are all spaced geometrically around the base of the
condenser. From here, the main flue continues underground to join the
Octagonal Chimney on the hillside above. WALK BACK DOWN THE HILL AND TURN RIGHT
ALONG THE ROAD TO A GATE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE BEFORE
THE BRIDGE
Looking back the
way you just came, the site of the car park on the right is known as Lower
Works and this is where ore was once processed. THEN & NOW
GO THROUGH THE GATE On the left are
some Circular Buddles, which were used to separate small particles of lead
ore from waste material. The cutting marks the route of the Snailbeach
District Railway.
THEN & NOW
Below are some old photos of
the mine when it was working. It is
impossible to get a modern day equivalent photo of most of these due to the
trees that have been planted on the valley sides.
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![[Click to enlarge image]](minersdry_001.jpg)
![[Click to enlarge image]](minersdry_002.jpg)
![[Click to enlarge image]](cable_001.jpg)
![[Click to enlarge image]](crusherhouse_001.jpg)
![[Click to enlarge image]](reservoir_001.jpg)
![[Click to enlarge image]](orehouse_001.jpg)
![[Click to enlarge image]](rocks_001.jpg)
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Last revised: 20 February 2010